Bottle crate or container



E. F. WIEDERHOLDT BOTTLE CRATE 0R CONTAINER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-15,1917- Patented Oct. 7,1919. 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 I aria/w Wgg @za ai E. F. WIEDERHOLDT.

- BOTTLE CRATE 0B CONTAINER. APPLICATION FILED DEC.15. 19H- Patented 001221919 at I y asa tluis effecting a great ea ths new ITE S TEs AT nmvnsr IE'WIEDEVVRHOLDT, on ST. rouisivrrssounr.

- 3mm CRATE on CONTAINER.

nausea.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Oct. *7, 1919.

Application filed'iDecember 15. 1917. Serial 110.207.2 18.

To allcvhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST F, WIEDER- i-roLn'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a,

certain new and useful Improvement in Bottle Crates or Containers, of whichthe following is a full, clear, andexa'ct description, such as will enable others skilledinthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same,

This invention relates to crates or boxes of freight cars, the shortage of materials from which the crates are made and the scarcity of labor employed to handle the crates, is that a relatively great percentage of the space-in the case or "box'that forms the inclosing wall ofthe crate is not utilized. In order to emphasize what thisineans to a manufacturer of bottled beverages who ships approximately one hundred thousand dozenbottles per day, I desire to point out that it requires fifty thousand crates of the kind now in general use to pac'k onehundred thousand dozen bottles and requires fifty box cars, each ofsixty thousand pounds capacity, for transporting said crates away from the factory at which the beverage is bottled. The same number of crates and the same'number of box cars are used each day in'returning the empty bottles to the manufacturer. Iam aware-of the fact that bottle crates or containers have heretofore been devised with a view to increasing the number ofbottles that can be stored or packed i a crateof standard dimensions, but owing to the excessive cost, increased weight and impracticable construction of such crates, they have not gone into general use.

The main object of my inven'tionis to provide a practicable bottle crate or container of novel construction which is so designed that it will hold nearlytwice asma ny bottles as a bottle crate of the kind now 'mgeneral ber of crates required by a manufacturer of bottled beverages to ship his product and return the empty bottles to the factory, in the number of cars or other conveyances required to transport the crates to and from the factory and also effecting a great saving in freight charges-and in the numberof operatives required to loadthe crates onto and off of the conveyances in which they are transported.

Another objectisto provide a bottle crate or containerhaving the characteristicsabove referred to that can be manufactured and sold at a low cost; that is light in weight and which is sufficiently strong and rugged to successfully withstand th rough usage to which it is subjected. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be here inafter pointed out.

To this end I have deviseda bottle crate or container in which the means that holds the bottlesin spaced relation is constructed principally of wire andisso formed that a portion of the bottles in the crate are held in spaced relation-in an upright position,

and the remainder of the bottles areheld in spaced relation in an inverted position be tween the upright bottles. With crates of the kind referred to a bottler or manufacturer whose product is sold in bottles can ship approximately one hundred thousand dozen bottles per day in approximately thlrty thousand crates, and can transport said crates away from his factory in approximately'thirty four box cars, each of sixty thousand pounds capacity, thereby effecting a savingin crates of approximately twenty thousand per day and a saving in box cars of approximately sixteen per day.

My improved crate, when empty, weighs substantially the same as the wooden bottle crate now in general use, but in view of the fact that'it holds thirty ninebottles instead oflonly twenty-four bottles,it effects a saving in weight, both in shipping full crates and returning empty crates, of approximately three poundsper dozen bottles. This saving of approximately three pounds per dozen bottles is a large item in freight expense, and at an average freight rate of forty two cents per hundred pounds (N. Y. C. L. rate), .efi'ects a'saving of approximately $1,260.00 per day, or $378,000;00 per year on out-going freight or filled crates and the same amount on inbound freight or empty crates that returned to "the tory, thus making a total saving on freight charges per year of approximately $756,-

000.00. Furthermore, with crates of the kindnow in general use it is not possible to load a box car to its full capacity, owing to the fact that one thousand of the ordinary crates containing twenty four thousand full bottles and weighing fifty one thousand pounds fill a box car of sixty thousand pounds capacity. With my improved crate it is possible to overload a box car ten per cent. beyond its rated capacity, a thing that is requested by the Federal. Government to relieve the car shortage, owing to the fact approximately eight hundred and eighty three of my crates containing approximately 34,437 bottles and weighing in the neighborhood of sixty thousand pounds can be shipped in a box car of sixty thousand pounds capacity. With the wooden crates of the kind now in general use it is necessary to use approximately fifty cars per day to return crates containing one hundred thousand dozen empty bottles to the factory, whereas, with my improved a crate, approximately thirty cars per day are sufficient to return the same number of bot- .tles to the factory. Accordingly, a manufacturer or bottler whose daily output is one hundred thousand dozen bottles, by using my improved crate, is enabled to handle his product with thirty six less freight cars per day than would be required if the ordinary bottle crates were used. Assuming that the manufacturers plant operates three hundred days in the year, the total number of cars that will be released or not required by the manufacturer to handle 1113 product, 1s 10 800. 1

in addition to the great saving that is effected in the number of crates required, n the number of cars, trucks or other conveyances used to transport the crates to and away from the factory and in freight charges, my improved crate reduces the number of operatives required to load the crates onto and off of the conveyances, the saving in the labor item alone being approximately forty per cent, i

My complete crate cons sts of a box or container preferably of rectangular shape, having arranged inside of same a skeletonlike structure formed principally of wire and comprising partition members arranged at right angles to each other and bent into such shape that they form a series of compartments in which bottles can be arranged in an upright position, and a series of 'com partments m which bottles can be arranged in an inverted position between the upright bottles, the inverted bottles being sustained by ring-shaped members that are connected to said partition members, and being held in a vertical position by the edges of'partitiou portions on said partition mem-v hers that bear against the caps on the necks of said inverted bottles. Each of the partition members is preferably formed from arsingle strand ofwire that can be shaped quickly and at a low cost in a' wire bending machine, and after the partition members and ring-shaped members have been combined or assembled, they are preferably permanently united with each other by dipping the entire structure in a bath of galvanizing solution. After the skeleton-like partition structure has been completely formed, it is arranged in operative position in the box" or container that forms the outer wall of the crate. While I have described my complete crate as consisting of a box'or container and a skeleton-like partition structure arranged inside of same, I wish it to be understood that the essential feature of my present in vention consists in the partition structure, per se. Therefore, it is immaterial, so far as my invention is concerned, whether said more clearly illustrating the construction of the ring-shaped members that are combined with the partition members; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, illustrating a slight modification of myinvention.

Referring to Figs. 1 to. 4 of the drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates a box or container, preferably of rectangular shape and constructed of Wood or other suitable material, said container being provided with a lid or cover B. Said container is provided with a skeleton-like partition structure that comprises a. plurality of partition members C that extend longitudinally of the container Aand also a plurality of partition members D that extend transversely of said container.

-At points where the partition members intersector cross each other r1ng-shaped mem bers E are arranged. The partit on memand D are formed from wire andeach of .said partition members is preferably constructed from a single strand of wire that is bent to form a series of vertically-disposed partition portions 1 whose lower ends are 7 connected together by base portions 2, the

The

broad idea is concerned, but the general shape of each partition portion is that of an 1 inverted U, one of whose side legs is-bent laterallytoward the other side leg so as to form a horizontally-disposed, 'U-shaped portion 1*, as show-nin Fig. 2. The-partition portions 1 are preferably so formed that the edges'of same which are presented to the necks of the inverted bottles will. contact with the caps on said inverted bottles, and

' thus hold said inverted bottles'in a vertical position, this being effected by making the side legs of'the partition portions 1 slightly inclined, as shown in Fig. e and also in Fig.

:2, wherein it will beseen that the cap on the r neck of the inverted bottle, indicated in Y broken lines,bear-s against the partition portions 1 between which said neck is arranged.

.The partition members G and D are so ar- 'ranged that thebaseportions2 ofsame Will cross each other, thus causingthe' partition portions 1 to form the side walls ofthe pock- 'ets m'in which the upright bottlesare arranged, the base portions ,2 ofithe partition members C being bent upwardly at 2 and j the base portions 2 of the partition members D being bent downwardly at 2 as indicated in Fig.- 3', so as to interlock the partition members C and D-With each other at the pointswhere they cross or intersect. 1 also piefer to provide the endpartition portions 1 of the partition members with hooks Sarranged in uch a manner thatthe hooks 3 at the ends of each of the partition members C will engage the base portions of thetransversely-disposed partition members D at the ends of the container, and the hooks-3 at'the ends of the transversely-disposed partition member D will engage the base portions of the partition members G that are arranged The ring-shaped members E, previously referred to,'can be formed in varlous ways without departing from the spirit of my in vention, but I prefer to form said ringshaped members in the manner illustrated in Figs. 1 and .3, wherein it will be seen that the ring-shaped members E are joined together in groups, each of which comprises five ring-shaped members that are joined together by connecting portions 4: that extend parallel to the longitudinallysdisposed partition members C. Each of the rin shaped members of each group is also provided with two radially-projecting portions 5 arranged at right angles to the connecting portions,

tition structure of my improved crate the partition members C and D are formed from strands of wire that are first bent into proper shape by means of a wire bending machine, or in any other suitable manner, and said partition members are then 'arrangedin proper position with relation to each other and joined together by the hooks 3 and the cooperating crimped portions 2 and 2* on the base portions of same and also by bending the channel-shaped portions 4: and 5 of the ring-shaped members E into engage inent with the top cross pieces of the partition portions 1 of said partition members. If desired, the entire structure can thereafter he dipped into a galvanizing solution so as to make the entire structure rust-proof and also solder the cooperating parts of same together.

Instead offorming the ring-shaped members in units, each of which comprises a plu rality of ring-shaped members that are joined togetherby integralco'nnecting portions, individual rings E can be used, as shown in Fig. 5, each of which isjjoined to the top cross pieces of the partition portions 1 with which-it cooperates by means of clips .7 that are adapted to be wrapped around said top cross pieces and which are provided at their. ends with reduced extensions 7? that can be wrapped around the ringsE. After the skeleton-like partition structure has been formed in the manner above describechit is thereafter arranged'in operative position in the boX or container A and either perma-' nently secured to same by fastening devices,

or'is leftfree so that it can be removed easily to facilitate the cleaning ofthe box A. nearest to the side walls of the container.

While I have described my improved crate ton-like" partition structureformed of wire and arranged inside of said case, I wish it to be understood that the essential feature of my present invention consists in the skeleton-like partition structure that holds the bottles in proper spaced relation. Therefore, it is immaterial whether the skeleton like partition structure is built and sold with the box A, or is built and-sold as a separate unit which can thereafter be arranged by the user in a suitable box or contamer.

Having thus described my 1D.Vt311i}lOi1,Wl1tt J I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A bottle crate or container provided series of pockets for receiving inverted bot- V tles that lie between the pockets formed by members that the vertically-disposed partition portions of said partition members, said vertically-disposed partition members having laterallyprojecting loops intermediate the top and bottom portions thereof which act as guides for the upright bottles.

2. A partition structure for bottle crates or containers composed of a plurality of right-angularly-disposed partition members formed from wire and comprising vertically-disposed partition portions and connecting base portions that rest upon the bottom of the container in which the structure is used, the base portions of the partition extend in one direction being bent around the base portions of the partition members that extend in the opposite direction, means arranged between the partition portions of said partition members so as to connect said portions together at the top of the structure and also form pockets in which inverted bottles can be arranged, said partition portions forming pockets in which upright bottles can be arranged, and l'aiterally projecfling loops arranged intermediate the top and bottom of said partition members so as to form guides for said upright bottles.

73. A partition structure for bottle crates or containers composed of a plurality of right-angularly-disposed intersecting partition members formed of wire, each of which comprises a series of vertically-disposed partition portions spaced away from each other Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the andconnected together. at their lower ends by base portions, the oppositely-disposed base portions of the partition members being bent around and interlocked with each other at the point of intersection, substantially ring-shaped members arranged between saidvertically-disposed partition portions, and means for securing said ringshaped members and said partition portions together so as to reinforce and strengthen the structure.

4. A partition structure for bottle crates or containers composed of a plurality of ,right-angularly-disposed partition members, each of whichis formed from a strand of wire bent to form a plurality of spaced, vertically-disposed partition portions whose lower ends are joined together by base portions, the base portions of the partition members that extend in one direction being bent around the base portions of the partition members that extend in the opposite direction so as to interlock therewith, substantially ring-shaped members arranged between the various partition portions of the structure, and lateral members that eX- tend between said ring-shaped members and which embrace the top cross pieces of said partition portions so .as tolrigidly connect said partition portions together at the top side of the structure. j

5. A partition structure for bottle crates or containers composed of a plurality of in- .tersecting ,partition members constructed from wire-that is bent'to form right-angularly-disposed partition portions that 00- operate with each other to form open-ended pockets in which upright bottles can be arranged, devices arranged between said partition portions so as to serve as supports for,

inverted bottles, said partition portionsfbeing so constructed that theedgesof same which are presented to the necks of the inverted bottles will bear against the side edges of the caps or closures on same and.

thus hold said inverted bottles in a vertical position, and loops intermediate the top and bottom of some of the partition portions which act as guides in placing the upright I bottles in position. 7

ERNEST F. WIEDERHOLDT.

fGommissioner of Patents, 

